As the great Bob Dylan said “these times are a changin.”
As expected, the threat of climate change continues and is set to outpace other, more time-bound issues, such as the pandemic, and political crises.
On the bright side, I am happy to tell you there are technologies in the construction industry to counter the effects of climate change such as the Building Intelligence Model (BIM).
The use of technology in combating climate change
I am an advocate of performance-based design strategy and use of software. It is extremely important for me to use software technology in the design of homes in response to the challenges such as typhoons, storms and floods posed by climate change. By using software, you can gather the data and conduct simulation exercises to determine the strength and stability of a structure. There is also the parametric architecture software which is a mathematical modeling that is very popular in industries such as manufacturing.
My company, Italpinas Development Corp. (IDC), is accredited by the Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE) program. EDGE was developed by the International Finance Corp. (IFC) as its ratings system in support of its resilience framework. EDGE is a widely accepted ratings standard in protecting homes from climate change and global warming in more than 170 countries. Aside from developing well-designed buildings, IDC has been able to design sustainable structures with the great assistance from EDGE.
Walking the talk
IDC walks the talk as far as using EDGE is concerned. Our company’s second flagship development in Cagayan de Oro City, Primavera City- Citta’ Verde, has received relevant recognition by achieving the EDGE Preliminary Certification. IDC is also developing Miramonti Green Residences in Santo Tomas in Batangas. Just like the Primavera Residences and Primavera City in Cagayan de Oro City, Miramonti also has an EDGE rating.
Green is the way to go
We promote sustainable design through our products and our advocacy that the option to “go green” must be accessible to many people. An advocacy that is limited to high-end products cannot have a meaningful effect. Our company also gives importance to affordability to ensure a large segment of the market can benefit from the sustainable lifestyle.
As an architect, I admire sustainable Filipino designs, and I draw inspiration from them. The bahay kubo, though simple, is an elegant distillation of many sustainable practices that are ingrained in Filipino design.
These include lateral ventilation, upward ventilation (through the raised floor) and use of local materials. These traits are visible in traditional Filipino designs for urban dwellings as well, which often feature stone construction at the street level, and then lighter wood construction above, with numerous openings for the movement of fresh air.
This is just a singular example of how Filipino architectural heritage is a treasure trove of inspiration for contemporary architects. When this age-old design wisdom is combined with the power of technology and software, together with the creativity of a skilled architect, the future chapters of Filipino architecture are sure to be the brightest.
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